The phrase ‘Government guidelines‘ is now starting to annoy me as much as the word ‘unprecedented‘.
I liked the look of a 3 bedroom detached bungalow near my son. It was in our price range, and I rang up to view it this morning. Apparently Government guidelines state that we cannot look at a property without our own house being on the market. I explained that we had already looked at several properties via different estate agents with no problem, and that we didn’t want to put our house on the market until we had made an offer on a place first. However, this particular person was adamant. Why aren’t all these estate agents working from the same hymn sheet?
Sam asked me to book an appointment for him with my hairdresser at the same time as I have my hair cut, as his hair is so long that I can now put it in a top knot. I rang her, and the reply was that she will open on July 6th as long as Government guidelines allow. However, throughout this lock-down I have read of legions of hairdressers working ‘underground’ in London. Perhaps I should try and find one of those!
I have a voucher that my son bought me for Mother’s Day for a VIP Tortoise Tour (I love the little creatures!) at Linton Zoo, which runs out on 30th June. I rang up to book a tour for 27th June when I heard that zoos are re-opening on Monday. The answer was that Government guidelines still decree the 2 metre social distancing rule, and so tours cannot go ahead just yet. Surely it’s possible to be sensible, see the tortoises and stand 2 metres apart from somebody else? It’s not rocket science, is it?
I received an email from our caravan site to inform us that they are on track to re-open on July 4th depending on… yes, you guessed it… Government guidelines. Arrgh! I wanted to scream when I read that! At least 10 owners have been staying at our Park for the entire lock-down, as they refused to return to their main residences.
Thousands of people have been ignoring social distancing rules. On TV to give just two examples, we’ve seen them sitting on beaches in the ‘unprecedented’ May sunshine and protesting in very large numbers in various big cities. Some MPs have flouted their own rules, because they’ve made themselves exceptions as they’re so important. Come on Government, the R rate is below 1, and the 5 conditions they wanted to end lock-down have been met, so now is surely the time to update the bloody guidelines!
Stevie Turner 
Stevie, we feel the same up here in Scotland. While some seem to be breezing through this and doing what they want, others can’t do right for doing wrong. It’s a mess and about to get worse. xxx
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We have become cultures of convenience as regards rules. Ask, and “everyone” agrees we shouldn’t text and drive. Get out in traffic? Hair salons are closed. Except the few who defied the rules, or the “clients” who hosted grooming parties with stylists and nail staff in their homes. I heard it said “you can take everything else away but I gotta have my hair, my nails and my hormones” illegal immigration isn’t illegal, Covid is a farce, I don’t need no mask, only old people die said the partiers at the beach, sure the numbers are up but we’re gonna open restaurants anyway, I know I plagiarized my essay can I get a rewrite…play by the rules these days it seems and you’re a step behind. But you might just live longer.
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Very true. Let’s face it, people will defy the rules if they’re certain they won’t get caught. It’s human nature I think.
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OMG do I ever hear you! Yes. camping, golfing, and soon beaches open here, but not yet haircuts. Astounding! ❤
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Sam looks like an ageing hippy now. His hair’s getting really long. He hates it. My daughter-in-law has offered to attack it with the clippers, but then again he doesn’t want to be a skinhead!
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LOl I can imagine. My patience are wearing thin as our city has been below the curve for a few weeks now but an hour west of us is not, so we must all pay the price 😦
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That’s frustrating for sure. x
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It would help to take ‘government guidelines’ seriously if we didn’t all know that it really means ‘we haven’t a clue and are making this up as we go.’ Yesterday’s change now forces my daughters to choose between forming a ‘bubble’ with me or my ex-wife, and in one case a set of in-laws too. And they wonder why we follow their example and ignore their inconsistent, unenforceable ‘guidelines!’
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You’re right, Clive. They haven’t got a scooby-do. Everything’s ‘unprecedented’ and so they’re scrabbling about in the dark. If they’d started lock-down at the beginning of March instead of at the end, there might have been a better outcome for all of us.
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When even Numpty Trumpty calls your approach a ‘catastrophe’…
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It would be easier to take government guidelines seriously if members of the government in question also did.
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Exactly. They tend to make themselves exceptions to the rules.
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The problem is that the bureaucracy is in control and ever more ridiculous regulations are going to come out. All the jobs worths are having a field day. They’ve suddenly become important.
We have far too many people who get their kicks from stopping others doing things
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Yes, you’re right, Jim. This is all getting ridiculous.
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I suspect we’re going to have to break the fingers of the bureaucrats to make them let go of our throats 😦
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I hate being controlled like this. It makes me feel like a powerless child.
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It’s something we’ve seen for many years in agriculture, and increasing number of remarkably petty regulations which then cost government a fortune to try and police and even then they cannot really do it.
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How on earth is anybody going to enforce this 14 day quarantine rule? Who is going to check on where travellers to the UK will be staying? It’s laughable really.
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The problem is, and its been true for two decades now, parliament passes laws to ‘send out a message’ rather than be enforced 😦
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We have the same problem here. We have one set of rules for the middle classes and anther for the working classes. The middle classes are supposed to continue to pay their staff despite not being allowed to work themselves. Our situation is completely idiotic and I already know six families who are immigrating over the next few months.
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Wow, I didn’t know that. My son’s friend moved from Pretoria to Ireland with his wife (she’s from Liverpool) and his parents about 7 years ago. They’ve never been happier.
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